Dec 8, 2025 – A 59‑year‑old firefighter dies when a falling tree strikes him while battling a blaze near Bulahdelah, NSW, and roughly 40 homes are lost across Bulahdelah, Koolewong and Dolphin Sands, Tasmania; six NSW councils receive natural‑disaster declarations and the federal government warns the summer “will be difficult” after the 2019‑20 Black Summer, prompting recovery and preparedness measures[7][9].

2009 – Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch later recalls that Victoria has not seen comparable heat in almost two decades, referencing the 2009 heatwave that preceded the Black Saturday bushfires, underscoring the rarity of the current conditions[2].

2019‑2020 – A Bureau of Meteorology meteorologist warns the upcoming heatwave could create “the most significant inland south‑east Australia event since the 2019‑2020 Black Summer,” highlighting the potential scale of fire danger[5].

Jan 8, 2026 – Meteorologists forecast a burst of severe‑to‑extreme heat on Friday, with parts of the country reaching “catastrophic” fire‑danger ratings; Victoria imposes a total fire ban, closes about 450 schools and childcare centres, and deploys around a dozen water‑bombing aircraft to a large fire near Wodonga, while officials urge communities to prepare or evacuate early[5][5].

Jan 9, 2026 – The Australian Capital Territory declares its first total fire ban in six years; the Longwood fire expands to roughly 36,000 ha, destroying at least 20 homes in Ruffy and leaving three people (two adults and a child) unaccounted for; a separate Walwa fire burns more than 17,000 ha as South Australia endures temperatures near 46 °C[3].

Jan 11, 2026 – Authorities find human remains near Seymour, marking the first fatality linked to Victoria’s brushfires; the fires have destroyed about 300 buildings and burned roughly 860,000 acres, prompting a state of emergency and the deployment of thousands of firefighters and over 70 aircraft; Prime Minister Albanese announces a $19.5 million support package for farmers, emergency accommodation and mental‑health services, while Premier Jacinta Allan warns the blazes are “not through the worst yet” and Forest Fire Management chief Chris Hardman cautions that a mid‑January heat spike could drive fires toward the coast[6][6].

Jan 11, 2026 – One person dies as fires ravage dozens of locations, destroying about 300 properties and burning 350,000 ha across Victoria; a body is recovered in Gobur north of Melbourne, a Harcourt firefighter loses his home, and fire captain Andrew Wilson describes the damage as “gut‑wrenching,” highlighting the human toll of the disaster[4].

Jan 26, 2026 – The Bureau of Meteorology places heat‑wave alerts over most of the nation, with temperatures expected to peak in the “high forties” °C; Australia Day parades and light shows in Adelaide are cancelled for safety, while Victoria experiences heat not seen in two decades, prompting Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch to label the conditions “a very serious set of conditions”; extreme fire‑danger warnings trigger evacuations, Australian Open matches pause as Jannik Sinner suffers cramps, and Cyclone Luana damages homes in Western Australia[2][2].

Jan 27, 2026 – Record‑breaking heat reaches 48.9 °C in rural Victoria and 41 °C in Melbourne, igniting at least six major fires, with the Camperdown and Otways blazes declared emergency level; Forest Fire Management chief Chris Hardman says the heat makes firefighting “incredibly difficult,” while Chief Health Officer Caroline McElnay warns vulnerable groups of fatal heat‑related conditions; South Australia moves onto an “extreme” fire‑risk alert, and a total fire ban remains in place across Victoria; three uncontrolled forest fires burn out of control but cause no casualties; the Australian Open sees attendance plunge from ~50,000 to ~21,000, triggers extreme‑heat protocols (roof closures, match postponements, ice packs for players), and officials forecast the heat wave will ease on Wednesday yet persist through the weekend[1][1][8].